


Love Languages

by blzter14



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25280764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blzter14/pseuds/blzter14
Summary: A 5 part series where we get to peer into the lives of Cloud and Tifa as they regain control of their lives and explore the 5 ways in which they express their love for each other and their family and friends, based on the 5 love languages.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 23
Kudos: 77





	1. Acts of Service

Cloud absolutely hated paperwork.

You could ask him to dispatch as many monsters as you can, ask him to deliver packages for you from Kalm all the way to Wutai and he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Staring at the stacks of delivery receipts, vouchers, maps and request forms that needed his attention though? The thought to be invincible Cloud Strife had seemingly met his match.

It was your typical Sunday night in Seventh Heaven, the last few regulars heading out the door and bidding the beautiful proprietor a good night.

He had stuck himself in a corner booth earlier in the evening, not wanting to stay cooped up in his office upstairs while he worked on planning the itinerary for next week.

Oftentimes, he would have had the kids to help him with sorting and documentation but not since they started going to school.

Their presumptive mother would not have them wasting precious sleeping time on a Sunday with classes the following day just so Cloud can have some help.

Ruefully, he put his pen down and closed his logbook for a bit of respite.

He ran his fingers through his blonde tresses and leaned back against the cushion of the booth, staring up at the lamp that hung above him as if to look for answers to his current predicament.

He could hear Tifa walking around and closing up shop: things like locking the front door, flipping the sign before getting started on cleaning the bar.

To him, it was oddly calming just listening to the sounds of her working and finishing up the checklist of things to do before the time came to retire, ready for the next day.

He envied her diligence and love for her work. Tifa absolutely enjoyed bar tending.

“You doing alright there Cloud?” she asks from behind the bar.

He looks over and sees her washing mugs and glasses, her back turned towards him.

Somehow she had caught on that he was simply delaying the inevitable of having to do all of this paperwork.

Or was he that obvious? Had he been unconsciously reaching out for some help now that he had been resigned to this hell alone?

“It’s fine, I don’t want to add more to what you’re doing. It’s been a long day hasn’t it?”

She shakes her head as she grabs a towel and starts drying each one of the mugs before placing them on hooks above the bar top.

“It doesn’t really matter, I can help. I count up stock and do my book keeping by myself. Surely sorting through your vouchers and doing your books for you won’t be too far off?”

He hears her footsteps coming closer before she nudges him to make room for her in the booth.

“But I-”

“Don’t be such a kid about it Cloud. I don’t mind. You look like you’re at your wits end now that Denzel and Marlene can’t help you.” she laughs, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear before giving him a smile.

He nods awkwardly, scratching his hair now that she’s essentially barged in on him with intent to alleviate the workload.

He slides over his logbook along with a stack of vouchers and receipts so she could do his accounting. He had decided that he would do the mapping himself as that would be more prudent given that it would be him on the road and not her.

Yet again, he finds himself listening to the sounds she makes: her humming, the sound of the pen as she scribbled down numbers and accounts in her neat penmanship while he drew up travel routes according to his requests for each day of the week.

She had a calming effect on him and he didn’t bother to question it in the slightest bit.

Anything that could help him with his current predicament, he would take.

Occasionally, she would ask him a question or two before resuming her part and he would in turn ask her advice as well for his delivery routes.

He wanted to make her feel like he appreciated her effort, make her feel more involved than just writing in a book and staring at numbers.

Cloud didn’t outwardly show it but he was extremely grateful for her assertive way of helping him.

He wouldn’t have asked for her help otherwise as he didn’t want to present himself a bother or burden to her.

By now an hour has passed and he had just finished his map for the week ahead.

He had not been paying attention to his assistant growing quiet beside him until he looked over to see her slumped forward, pen loosely held in her fingers.

Her black hair hung loose over her face, her breathing level and rhythmic.

She was breathtaking like this and he could only smile in appreciation.

Tifa was exhausted and still wanted to extend her help.

She was selfless, caring and kind.

Quietly, he gathered up whatever was left of his work and put them away to bring to his office later.

For now, she was his priority. It was his turn to do something for her thoughtfulness.

He carried her gently and eased the both of them out of the booth and made the short trip upstairs to their room.

He laid her out on their bed and watched as she sunk into the covers with a sigh before whispering to him.

“Thanks Cloud.”

She caught him. One of her devious little traps that she’s been doing more and more now that he’s back.

Was she always this playful or had Yuffie been giving her pro-tips with how to mess with him?

He decided that he didn’t mind at all. It was endearing and found her attempts amusing at the least, loving at the most.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about Tifa.” he mumbles softly, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

As he turns to leave, he swears he could hear her reply with a cheeky yet weak “Anytime.”

He couldn’t help but grin to himself as he made his way back down to the bar, gathering up his remaining work and turning off the lights.

He felt the sudden boost in energy and just wanted to curl up with her as he went straight into his office.

The faster he got his work done, the sooner he would be with her.

He would not admit it to Tifa, at least not yet, but her kind offering of help even if he refuses it was very heartwarming to him.

It made him feel welcome.

It made him feel whole.

It made him feel loved.


	2. Quality Time

It was family day.

Once every month, Tifa would close the bar for the entire day so that everyone could spend time together.

It was Marlene’s little take home project as she asked why they never spent a lot of time together as a family. It honestly broke her heart, even as Marlene was mature enough to understand her explanation and took it in stride.

From then on, with convincing from both Marlene and her, the entire Seventh Heaven household would take the 3rd saturday of the month off.

No bar, no deliveries and no guests.

It was specifically reserved for her, Cloud, Marlene and Denzel to do anything they wanted together.

Ever since the Geostigma incident a year ago and the immediate return of the blond haired man to their home, he had been making an active effort to be a part of everything.

It felt like Cloud was a possessed man, as if something took over her childhood friend and made him practically glued to any one of them when he was at home.

She realizes it was his way of making up for things not just to her and the kids but to himself as well.

Cloud was a stickler for repentance even if you hammer his skull in with words of forgiveness.

Sure it was stubborn but this was Cloud and she wouldn’t have him any other way.

Tifa was a patient woman and that was clear to anyone who knew her but none more than Cloud Strife.

From as far back as they were living in Nibelheim up to the events leading up to the sickness that plagued the world post-Meteor, Cloud would’ve made any other woman pull her hair out in frustration and give up altogether.

Not her.

She was Tifa Lockhart and she swore to be there for him through thick and thin.

Now that he was doing his part and putting aside time for them, she felt elated.

She shook her head and laughed away her thoughts while she watched Cloud teach Denzel how to change Fenrir’s oil from the garage doorway.

Truth be told, Cloud was amazingly patient and very caring as a father figure to the child he considered his own.

Denzel was especially more receptive to Cloud than he was with her. Probably due to the fact that he looked up to the man not just as a father figure but as his personal hero.

Marlene stood next to her, puffing out her cheeks in frustration as she marched into the garage to hound the boys why she couldn’t be part of this lesson as well.

Tifa was inclined to agree, it was “Family Day” and not “Denzel and Cloud Day”. If Denzel was going to get taught how to take care of Cloud’s precious bike then so were they.

Tifa walked down from the few steps into the garage and playfully took away the wrench from Cloud’s hand and hid it behind her back.

“Marlene’s got a point Cloud. Remember, we do everything together on Family Day. You promised.” she told him in a chiding yet motherly tone.

Feeling sheepish, the boys share a look and nod their head in agreement.

“Sorry Tifa.” they replied in unison.

Marlene, being the pure, sweet and innocent soul she was, was easy to forgive.

She immediately jumped for her adoptive brother and brought him into a hug.

Cloud and Tifa watched on with smiles on their faces before they each got a tool in their hand, looking at Cloud expectantly.

He looks up at her and pats the space next to him, wordlessly telling her that they would all do it together.

She smiled brightly, wanting to tell him that anything they do together as a family was something she would willingly do.

Whether it be cooking their meals, going out to explore or just simply staying at home and relaxing upstairs in the children’s room, she was happy just soaking it in.

Cloud guided her hand to turn the bolt on Fenrir’s oil tank before telling the children to gently siphon the oil into a bottle.

She smiled as he gave her hand a tender squeeze.

It was small moments like this that made her heart flutter more than any grand adventure with the people she held dear.

What was important to her is that they did things together.

They were a family.


	3. Giving Gifts

Cloud was not good with words.

More often than not, he stumbles on them and says the wrong thing without meaning to.

He had learned how to communicate things better from his childhood friend, Tifa Lockhart, on that fateful day under the Highwind, where they were convinced they would spend the last day alive as Meteor threatened to wipe out the planet.

It was an unspoken mantra for him.

“ _Words aren’t the only way to tell someone how you feel”_

He was gradually getting better with talking with people, almost regaining that youthful spunk he once held before things spiraled out of his control in Nibelheim.

Talking with the kids a lot more now that he was home for good definitely helped but to him, actions always spoke the loudest.

Today was the anniversary of the pool of healing water appearing in Aerith’s church and with it, the cure for Geostigma.

Cloud and Denzel had suffered through the disease and it was during this period that their small family fell at their hardest times.

It had only been a year and the wounds still felt fresh. The mere mention of the time he spent away from Tifa made her wince at the painful memory.

He wanted to change that.

Instead of remembering the hardship, he wanted them to celebrate what was born after those trying times.

He wanted Tifa to remember this day as the day that both him and Denzel were cured.

They were made whole again and were closer than ever before.

Cloud had made sure that today’s deliveries would take him no further than Kalm, ensuring he would have enough time to go back to the ruins of Sector 5, fetch his gift for Tifa and make it back before the bar closed.

Marlene and Denzel had conspired with him to spirit a cake into the house the day before, hiding it where Tifa would not find it until they sprung their surprise to her.

They had planned a quaint surprise for her once the day was over, one that was sure to wipe away any negative thoughts about what they were celebrating on this very day.

Cloud weaved through the scrap metal just surrounding the collapsed plate before stopping Fenrir just outside of the church, the site of many miracles.

He looked down at his watch to look at the time. It was three in the afternoon. He had more than enough time to get back to Edge.

He walked inside and made his way straight towards the water’s edge.

The original patch of flowers may have made way for the healing power of Aerith’s spring but, like their name, the wildflowers had spread farther around the pool, uprooting the flooring in some areas as nature took the place back into its embrace.

Cloud couldn’t help but smile, knowing deep in his heart that his dear friends were watching him as he gathered up a bunch of the flowers into his hands.

He could picture hearing Zack’s playful tone teasing him about his lady love while Aerith would chide him and gently guide Cloud which ones to take back to Tifa.

Ever since seeing them last as they both walked into the light, he grew ever more thankful for their presence despite the fleeting circumstances of their time spent together at the present moment.

He wanted to get home as fast as he could.

Once the flowers were all bunched up and arranged, to the best of his ability, in a makeshift bouquet, he bid Zack and Aerith farewell, mounting Fenrir after putting his simple gift inside one of the multiple compartments he used for deliveries.

He sped off back to Edge, not sparing a glance back at the ethereal figures of his friends that went unseen to him as they waved him away like proud parents.

By the time that he had parked Fenrir into the garage, it was already nearing seven in the evening.

On any normal day, things would only get busier for Tifa as the bar started its happy hour around this time but today was a special occasion and all her patrons knew that.

He made sure to discreetly sneak the bouquet in past a busy Tifa, nodding silently to her regulars in an unspoken agreement not to tattle.

He met up with his co-conspirators upstairs in his office, the cake already in Marlene’s hands.

“You know what to do right?” he asked in a hushed tone

Denzel nodded his head, focused for the task at hand at wanting to surprise his adoptive mother.

“Once the customers all leave and Tifa starts washing dishes and mugs, we run downstairs and pull the breaker before she finishes!” he proclaims proudly with a pump of his fist, prompting Marlene to shush him as his voice was too loud.

“I’ll have the cake ready on the bar.” she adds with a bright smile on her face

“And I’ll be there, ready to catch her with the bouquet once you turn the lights back on. Good job you two.” he said as a would-be father brimming with pride.

From upstairs, they could hear Tifa bid the last few customers a goodnight. She would lock the door, flip the sign and get started on cleaning up before joining her family for their anniversary dinner.

Cloud gave the all clear and Denzel rushed down into the utility closet and pulled the breaker, casting darkness into the entire residence.

Marlene scampered up onto one of the stools and placed the box on the counter top, Tifa’s silhouette mildly panicking right in front of her.

Lastly, Cloud himself ran around behind the bar and tripped Tifa on purpose to have her bend backwards before skillfully catching her before she hit the floor with ease.

Denzel timed the lights perfectly and Cloud greets Tifa with a small smile, bouquet raised up in his free arm.

They looked like they had just finished a dance.

“What? What’s gotten into you? All of you?” she beamed, flustered and hot as adrenaline pumped through her veins once the panic sets down and is replaced with relief then excitement at her surprise.

“We wanted to make today special and happy!” cried Denzel as he hopped onto a bar stool next to Marlene who could only nod and laugh at the very flamboyant display she just witnessed before opening up the box.

“All this for me? But why?”

The question hung around Cloud as he helped her back up and presented her the flowers.

He simply shrugged as if the answer was pretty self-explanatory. “We wanted to replace those memories with happy ones. We figured instead of a somber memorial, why not make it a celebration of new life?”

Tifa was rendered speechless.

Sure it was a nice surprise for her but the thought behind it all, that was the best gift she could have asked for from the people closest to her.

She began to laugh, causing the others to go along with her.

“Job done guys, we did it!” Cloud declared, pulling Tifa to his side and kissing the top of her head while Marlene and Denzel cheered.

“You know I don’t like surprises.” she whispered to him while the children made off to get cutlery and plates to share the cake.

“But I know you like gifts. Give me some credit, you always loved Aerith’s flowers didn’t you?” he replied, giving her a squeeze.

“Silly, I’ve already got all of you with me. That’s the greatest gift of all.”

She held the bouquet close to her chest and planted a wet kiss on Cloud’s cheek before running off to find a vase to put the beautiful flowers in.


	4. Words of Affirmation

To anyone who knew Cloud Strife as deeply as she did, they would know that he was a very sensitive soul.

Cloud was someone who was self-conscious to a fault.

He puts up a tough and confident face when confronted, even to her but she knew.

He had his moments where someone needed to pick him up.

It was Father’s Day and the Avalanche troop, with their special guest Reeve, had all posted up at Seventh Heaven to celebrate until the following day.

The bar was closed for a special function fully reserved for all of them to just have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

Truth be told, they all rarely got together like this nowadays. Everyone was busy trying to get on with their normal lives.

Cloud, to the best of abilities and limited knowledge with fatherhood, was providing well for the family in conjunction with the income Tifa was making from the bar.

He was quite adept with handling both Marlene and Denzel despite having grown up without a father himself.

It was almost second nature how he would interact with the children, spending time with them, entertaining their curiosity and even playing with them.

It wasn’t perfect but he was doing very well given the circumstances. To him though, it could be further from the truth.

Today wasn’t such a good day for these kinds of thoughts as the gang celebrated Barret and Cid as the would-be fathers of the group, with Reeve being dragged along as the so called father of the new age with his efforts with the WRO in full swing.

Tifa laughed as the three bashfully accepted the adoration and applause before looking to her side and seeing Cloud with a glazed look in his eyes, hands lazily clapping.

Memories of his cowardice in running away from them despite the well intended meaning behind it, crept up in the back of his mind like an annoying insect buzzing around.

The fact of the matter still remained, he had left his family behind.

Her eyebrows scrunched up in concern and she is reminded of the times he would be distant and silent, even if he was physically there.

Tifa decided to confront him about the issue hounding him once the ruckus had settled down a bit and everyone did their own thing.

“A word Cloud?” she quietly asks him, holding his hand and not giving him a chance to reply when she dragged him into the utility closet.

She didn’t care if anyone saw her pull him away, she needed to get to the bottom of it. She did not want a repeat of Geostigma.

It wasn’t so much a squeeze but it was tight, enough for Cloud to uncomfortably fidget when he sees Tifa’s piercing gaze hit his very soul with no way out in sight.

A wordless question hung in front of him and she didn’t need to ask. She wanted to know what was bothering him.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m being a good father figure. Am I doing enough? Are the kids happy with me? There’s so many questions Tifa and just seeing the gang celebrate everyone else, I can’t help but feel a bit jealous and conscious, maybe a bit inadequate.”

Tifa’s expression softens and she reaches out to place her hand on his arm.

He was getting so much better with communicating past grunts and hums and, much to her surprise, Cloud was actually a talker when he was in the mood.

Naturally, this made things much easier from simple things all the way to something deep rooted like this.

“I didn’t see Vincent or Nanaki with the same longing look to be praised as a dad in the group hmm?” she carefully tease him, hoping to break down his apprehensive mood so she could better talk him over his own insecurities.

She took it as a success, he shook his head and chuckled, a smile cracking on his lips.

Tifa moved closer to him, placing both her hands on his cheeks to have him look at her, his hands instinctively resting on the curve of her hips.

There was silence between the two of them for a bit before she spoke again.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing Cloud. You should stop thinking about comparing yourself to others and start looking inwards.” she began, letting her thumb rub in circles.

Cloud knew better than to interrupt her and listened closely, staring back at her and feeling her warmth take over him.

She closes her eyes and holds him close, her head nestled against the crook of his neck as her hands slipped down to wrap around his torso.

“I can see it, Marlene and Denzel too. You’re doing an amazing job as the upstanding father figure that you are to us. You keep telling me that it’s me holding us all together but quite frankly you’re the one that makes us feel safe and loved.”

Cloud wraps his arms around her waist and brings her closer and buries his face into her hair as he listens to her attempts at allaying his worries.

“There’s nowhere else we’d rather be than with you, caring for us, helping provide for us.” she trails off, pulling away just enough to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

“For loving us.”

He couldn’t stop the fluttering feeling of butterflies in his stomach with the way she had just willed his fears away in this moment with a few words.

Both of them knew it was going to be a continuing struggle. Nothing was ever this easy, especially with emotions.

Tifa was convinced that they would go through it together though, and she along with the children will be with him every step of the way until he can wear the title of "Best Dad in Gaia" proudly and without a doubt.

He stared at her beautiful features and wondered how he ever deserved Tifa. After all the horrible things he'd put her through, she persists and is the one constant in his life that helped him put his life together. Literally.

“You’re brilliant you know that? More than anything.” he laughs, giving her a squeeze before letting her go.

Tifa rolls her eyes and laughs with him.

He might not recognize it but she was convinced Cloud loved getting praised. He wanted to be accepted, validated and welcomed, and she along with their little family would gladly give him all that he needed and more.

Cloud caught a glint in her eyes and squinted his own. She wasn’t telling him her whole spiel.

Deciding to push before the moment was lost or their privacy broken, he tilted his head, prompting Tifa to laugh and shake her head.

“I was just thinking if I should tell you sometime soon but I guess now is as good as any." she paused, searching his eyes for any sort of hint as to what his reaction would be. She throws caution out into wind and comes out with her secret straight. "You’ll be a great father.”

With a wink, she whisked him out of the closet, yet again without giving him a chance to reply.

The words swam in his head and his heart beat uncontrollably fast.

Was she-

“I think we’re forgetting one more father in the group guys! Let’s give it up for Cloud!”

Denzel and Marlene both stood up and smiled wide, the rest of the group all cheering for him.

The two children ran up to him as he met them halfway, kneeling down and bringing them into his arms before inviting Tifa along for the family hug, thoughts warming up to the idea of sharing a brand new life that was possibly on its way soon to join them.


	5. Physical Touch

Tifa Lockhart was a person who put a lot of trust in the people she considered close to her, and with that trust came a lot of personal quirks she would have with each and every one of her friends and loved ones.

For example: She could chug down entire pints of beer with Barret or indulge Cid in helping him with his ever growing closeness with Shera, and, even engage in discussion with Yuffie and her obsession with materia.

She could be petting Nanaki absentmindedly or just spend quiet moments with Vincent, trying to get him to open up more.

The barmaid was practically more co-operative and sometimes enthusiastic whenever Reeve would ask her for input in drafting projects for Edge than Cloud ever was, seeing what ideas would be good as she knew the city folk more than he ever did.

Cloud was a different case from the others and not always for the best.

Tifa would be remiss to admit but, she had grown afraid that he would disappear again despite him proving time and again that he would never leave her or their family behind ever again.

He had almost slipped through her fingers far too many times for her to be comfortable with just seeing him around.

No, she needed to feel him physically there.

She needed that affirmation that her childhood friend and partner wasn’t a figment of her imagination that would disintegrate into ash the moment she took her eyes away from him.

Tifa needed to feel his warmth as a constant reminder that he was alive.

You could say she was touch starved for the ex-SOLDIER but that would be an affront to what they had personally gone through together.

During the height of their adventures, when their lives were in constant danger, she too sought him out whenever possible to the point of rousing suspicion among their comrades if they really were just childhood friends back then.

It ranged from the smallest things to some outright affectionate gestures that would easily be caught by any discerning eye.

Things like a brush of an arm, a gentle hold on the shoulder, holding each other close for a bit too long after jumping out of a speeding train, bracing for cover together to get away from gunfire and the, more often than not, nocturnal disappearances where they would just talk.

It was far beyond normal and Tifa knew it. She would not allow herself to stop.

Just now Denzel had called them both out for lingering a bit too long in an embrace as Cloud prepared to do his deliveries.

He would not even be out long, all his deliveries today were within Edge.

It was definitely excessive.

Her need for physical attachment to him only grew after his return post-Geostigma.

Cloud being Cloud though, he was more than likely unaware of the worries that ailed Tifa right at this very moment.

He was only happy to oblige the sudden increase in intimacy being shown, regardless of how uncomfortable it made the growing children that witnessed the uptick in frequency at which their figurative parents publicly displayed their closeness.

Part of her mind bugged her to go seek some help, worried that she was getting obsessed and might soon suffocate him with her need for attention but her stubbornness would not relent.

She would deal with it with Cloud as they promised to do so with every problem once he moved back in with them.

Cloud returned even earlier than usual, greeting some of the more familiar patrons before walking over to her and kissing her cheek.

“I figured you wanted to talk about something. I wanted to give you some space to figure it out but I hate seeing you like this. Bedroom. Later.” he murmurs to her, his voice low and commanding yet also laced with worry and concern.

The roles had been reversed and she could only laugh at the irony of it all. It would always be her to prompt Cloud to talk about his feelings, not the other way around.

If it truly was that bad then maybe it was high time she confessed.

The rest of the shift was uneventful and Tifa promptly closed the bar at nine sharp.

Not wanting to waste any more time, she made straight for their bedroom, leaving the cleaning for later.

He was sitting on their bed, done with his work for tonight and waiting for her as he thumbed through his PHS to pass the time.

Tifa closes the door behind her and sits beside him, fiddling with her thumbs while Cloud puts his PHS away and gives his full attention to her.

She feels his gaze on her even as she avoided it.

It would be close to a minute before his quiet voice breaks the silence.

“Talk to me Tifa, what’s eating you?”

She shook her head to get some clarity and to get rid of some of her anxiety, turning to face him and reaching for his hands to hold in hers.

“I’m scared Cloud.” she began, her grip tightening around his knuckles.

“I’m scared that you won’t be there when I wake up. I’m scared that you might not come back from a long day of deliveries. I’m scared of every passing second that I don’t get to touch you with these very hands to tell myself that you’re here.”

She’s starting to struggle with her words, her throat tightening but she presses on. She needed to let him know before he got the wrong idea. She wasn’t blaming him. She was simply afraid.

“I know I shouldn’t be, you’ve been nothing short of amazing since you came back but I can’t help it. I don’t want to lose you, I can’t!”

Her voice quivers and she wants to punch something, she hated presenting herself this weak. Her hands closes into fists as she heaves, trying her hardest not to shatter in front of him.

Cloud closes his eyes and gently pries her hands open before wrapping her tight in his embrace.

The dam breaks and she allows herself to cry her emotions out, hoping his shirt would be enough to muffle her mangled sobs from the children across the hall.

She let everything out, all her fears, apprehensions, nightmares and worries. She had been keeping them all in to herself until it reached a breaking point and she found herself where she is currently.

He listens to her patiently, letting her know he was listening.

He cradled her gently, easing them back onto the bed where he could lean his back against the wall so they could be more comfortable and just held her for as long as she needed.

The way she clung to him like a lifeline broke his heart.

This wasn't a problem he could simply hack away at like a monster. This was psychological, emotional stress.

He would have to tough this one out and hope for the best, steeling himself to give Tifa all the reassurance that she would need.

Cloud didn’t care for how long, Tifa had waited far longer for him and endured much worse than losing circulation.

He’d cancel his deliveries tomorrow and leave the bar closed.

Tifa needed him and he would be there for her.

It takes a while for her breathing to calm down as she dries her tears on his shirt before propping herself up against his chest to look up into his eyes.

He takes her hands in his and guides them up to his face and smiles at her.

“Memorize every feature, every inch, every contour. I’m yours Tifa and I’m never going anywhere without you. My place is here, with you, Marlene and Denzel.” he quietly reassured her.

Looking into her bloodshot eyes, he knew she was searching for more.

He cracks a smile and pulls her flush against him and kisses the top of her head.

“You can have all the snuggles and kisses you want anywhere, anytime if it will help you. I never took you to be the clingy type Ms. Lockhart?” he teases her.

He could already feel her pouting as she hit his chest but she feels lighter now.

If Cloud knew what was bothering her then she didn’t need to worry anymore.

They talk and laugh well into the night, not wanting to be apart from each other in the meantime until fatigue sets in and both of them fall asleep; glued together.

There was no hint or sign of what Tifa had just gone through.

Her tears are all dried up, her mind at ease and her heart beating with his but most importantly, she had the man she loved in her arms.

He was real and he was here for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished!
> 
> I had a lot of fun making this and I hope you all enjoyed reading it too!

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a very long while since I last wrote anything but I'm back and I hope I've still got it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little story and look forward to the next chapters with me!


End file.
